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NCAAB Picks

NCAA Basketball Saturday Picks of the Day

At the beginning of the NCAA Basketball season, a lot of teams ease into the grind with a lot of cupcake matchups. Let’s see if we can expose some of these mismatches in today’s picks of the day.

Arkansas Little-Rock
(0-1) at #11 Florida (1-1)

Accountability

Normally this is a “cupcake team” that Florida would
destroy, but the status of many players is up in the air as they’ve been
suspended by head coach Billy Donovan. Dorian Finney-Smith was reinstated to
the team but his status along with ScottieWilbekin and Damontre Harris is
questionable at this point. Harris is the least likely to play for a Florida
team that’s a 20 point betting favorite in this matchup.

Florida is also coming off of a tough 59-53 loss to a
defensive-minded Wisconsin Badgers team. With the suspensions and injuries to
players like Will Yeguete, you expect an uphill battle regardless, but against
the AR- Little Rock, look for freshman point guard, Kasey Hill to play better
with a better chance of opening up the floor. Florida will look towards its two
leading scorers in Casey Prather and Michael Frazier II for most of its
offense. Together, they’ve accounted for 39.5 points and 12 rebounds; we can
expect both players to lead the way
against Arkansas Little Rock as Hill sets them up against the Trojans.

The Trojans will be led by big man Will Neighbour, who is a
preseason All-Sun Belt Conference second teams selection. Neighbour will need
to outplay Patric Young for the Trojans to have any chance in this contest.

This game isn’t a matter of “if Florida wins” it will be by
how “how much?” This could be affected by the suspension of some of its
players. Betting odds makers seem to think that it won’t matter and neither do I. Look
for Prather and Frazier II to lead the way against a much inferior team.

Free Pick- Florida -20 at
Bet 365

[gameodds]14/250018/?r-1=19-43-349-192/us[/gameodds]

#20 Wisconsin (1-0)
at Green Bay (1-0)

Revenge Game

Even though it’s been 4 years since Green Bay defeated a
nationally ranked Wisconsin team on their home floor, this is the type of loss
that’s not forgotten in an intra-state game of two teams located so close
together geographically.

Once again, the Badgers are the 20th ranked team in
the nation and coming off of a very impressive victory over a shorthanded
Florida team, 59-53. For the past couple of years, the name of Wisconsin’s game
is defense. If they can keep their opponent in the 50 point range they’re
almost sure to pick up the “W”. This could be a test as Green Bay took down the
Northern Michigan Wildcats, 71-49 in their first game of the season. That said,
the degree of difficulty where the opposition is concerned in the form of
Wisconsin, has risen for the Phoenix.

Wisconsin is led by the 3-headed monster of forward Sam
Dekker (16 ppg) and guards Traevon Jackson (13 ppg) and Ben Brust (13 ppg).
Despite their lack of size all 3 of these players can man the boards and
rebound. Brust is the spiritual leader of the Badgers as he hit several game
winning shots last season and looks to finish his college career with an NCAA
Championship. Look for the defense of Wisconsin to overwhelm the Phoenix
offense and be a key factor in the outcome of this game.

We must remember that Green Bay has been off for a week and
beat a division II school in their lone victory of the season. In that game
their leading scorer of last year, Keifer Sykes, was just 4 for 12 for 10
points. The Phoenix shot just 43.9% against a division II squad and are a poor
free throw shooting team themselves. The only way that they have a chance
against Wisconsin is from a psychological standpoint if the Badgers let the
hometown Phoenix fans get under their skin, but don’t expect that to happen.

Look for Wisconsin and their unbreakable defense to stop the
Phoenix for NCAAB picks and cover the 5 point spread.